As Luka Doncic doubles down on his future with the Lakers, Nick Wright weighs in with a bold claim about the superstars best shot at a title run-and who needs to be by his side.
IMAGE: Los Angeles Lakers forward LeBron James (23) in the second half against the Boston Celtics at the Crypto.com Arena. / Kirby Lee / Imagn Images
Luka Doncic just made a loud and clear statement about his future with the Los Angeles Lakers-both with his pen and with his mindset. The Slovenian superstar has officially inked a three-year, $165 million max extension with the franchise, a deal that includes a player option for 2028. It’s the kind of commitment that signals Doncic is all-in on winning in L.A.-and he’s not looking to stall.
“I don’t want to wait,” Doncic reportedly told team leadership, according to ESPN. “I had a taste of the Finals.
I am getting back there. So, let’s do whatever we can now.”
That taste of the Finals, of course, came just before his move to Los Angeles. And while his first full season as a Laker had its highs-including his signature mix of scoring, playmaking, and court vision-it ultimately ended in frustration.
The Lakers were knocked out in the first round of the playoffs by the Minnesota Timberwolves, falling in just five games. For a duo like LeBron James and Luka Doncic, that’s not the ending they envisioned.
Doncic’s stat line from the 2024-25 season still speaks volumes about his impact: 28.2 points, 8.2 rebounds, and 7.7 assists across 50 games. When healthy, he looked every bit the offensive engine the Lakers hoped he’d be.
Now, with this extension on the books, what comes next is both an expectation and a challenge. The Lakers are clearly going all-in on the pairing of Doncic and LeBron-and that’s where the conversation turns to LeBron’s role going forward.
On his podcast, What’s Wright? With Nick Wright, NBA commentator Nick Wright voiced a belief that says a lot about what LeBron still brings to the table at this stage of his career.
“I think it is overwhelmingly likely that over the lifetime of the extension, these next three years, Luka never has a teammate better than LeBron is right now,” Wright said. “Maybe they’re going to get Giannis, and I’ll be wrong.
Maybe they have their eyes on ‘The Joker,’ and I’ll be wrong. But Shai ain’t going anywhere.
And now Tatum’s not going anywhere. And now we’re like running out of people who are better than LeBron right now.”
That’s bold, but not necessarily wrong. Even in what most consider the back end of his career, LeBron remains one of the league’s smartest and most reliable forces. His chemistry with Doncic was notable during the 2024-25 campaign, and at times, it felt like we were getting previews of something truly special-two elite basketball minds, capable of seeing things a half-second before everyone else, bouncing off each other in real-time.
Still, the challenge for the Lakers is clear: choose the right pieces to surround their star tandem. Health, depth, and defensive consistency will matter just as much-if not more-than having two generational talents on the floor.
The Lakers’ front office has been known to swing big when the window is open. With Doncic locked in through 2028 (or at least with the option to stay that long), and LeBron still defying time, that window is right now.
Doncic said he’s ready. The question is whether the rest of the Lakers-both players and execs-can meet that urgency.
Because this pairing? It has the potential to deliver something special.
But in the ever-competitive Western Conference, potential only gets you so far. The next few months will be crucial in setting up the postseason run Doncic so clearly craves.